the nation. >> here now is abc news and a special report. >> announcer: this is an abc news special report. a presidential address to the nation. countdown to crisis. >> good evening, i'm george stephanopoulos at abc news headquarters in new york. we wi we're about to hear from the two men facing off, president obama and house speaker john boehner back to back. you see the ticking clock. in over a week we hit our credit limit. the president and the speaker have been negotiating for months often in secret on a plan to extend that limit and cut the deficit but those talks have deadlocked. so democrats and republicans now in a collision course.

here's why the stakes are so high. if no deal is reached this week america will lose its aaa credit rating. that could cripple our struggling economy costing every american family. jake tapper at the white house. what we're seeing is classic use of the tactics. >> reporter: he will talk about how the house will pass a bill that probably can't pass the senate. the senate is about to pass one that can't pass the house and say the time for this deadlock is over and there needs to be a premium on compromise but there is a risk here, george. in the sense that the president is not going to be presenting any new plan and he is complaining about washington's dysfuncti dysfunction. here comes the president now. >> good evening. i want to talk about the debate we've had over the national debt. the debate that directly affected the lives of all americans. for the last decade we've spent more money than we take in. in the year 2 n.o.w. tho2000 ha

budget surplus, and the money was spent on trillions of dollars in new tax cut, while two wars and an expensive prescription drug program were simply added to our nation's credit card. as a result, the deficit was on track to top $1 trillion the year i took office. to make matters worse, the recession memet that there was less money coming in and it required us to spend even more. on tax cuts for middle class families to spur the economy, on unemployment insurance, on aid to states so we could prevent more teachers and firefighters and police officers from being laid off. these emergency steps also added to the deficit. now, every family knows a little credit card debt is manageable. but if we stay on the current path, our growing debt could cost us jobs and do serious damage to the economy. more of our tax dollars will go

toward paying off the interest on our loans. businesses will be less likely to open up shop and hire workers in a country that can't balance its books. interest rates could climb for everyone who borrows money. the homeowner with the mortgage, the student with a college loan, the corner store that wants to expand. and we won't have enough money to make job creating investments and things le education and infrastructure or pay for medicare and medicaid. because neither party is blameless for the decisions that led to this problem, both parties have a respoponsibilityo solve it. and over the last several months, that's what we've been trying to do. i won't bore you with the details of every plan or proposal but it's centered around two different approaches. the first approach says let's live within our means by making serious, historic cuts in government spending. let's cut domestic spending to the lowest level it's been since

dwight eisenhower was president. let's cut defense spending at the pentagon by hundreds of billions of dollars. let's cut out waste and fraud and health care programs like medicare and at the same time, let's make modest adjustments so medicare is still there for future generations. finally, let's ask the wealthiest americans and biggest corporations to give up some of their breaks in the tax code and special deductions. this balanced approach asks everyone to give a little without requires anyone to sacrifice too much. it would reduce the deficit by around $4 trillion and put us on a path to pay down our debt. and the cuts wouldn't happen so abruptly but would be a drag on our economy or prevent us from helping small businesses and middle class families get back on their feet right now. this approach is also bipartisan. while many in my own party

aren't happy with the cuts it makes enough will be willing to accept them if the burden is fairly shared. while republicans might like to see deeper cuts and no revenue at all, there are many in the senate who have said, yes, i'm willing to put politics aside and consider this approach because i care about solving the problem. and to his credit, this is the kind of approach the republican speaker of the house, john boehner, was working on with me over the last several weeks. the only reason this balanced approach isn't on its way to becoming law right now is because a significant number of republicans in congress are insisting on a different approach, a cuts only approach. an approach that doesn't ask the wealthiest americans or biggest corporations to contribute anything at all. and because nothing is asked of those at the topop of the incom scale, such an approach would close the deficit only with more severe cuts to programs we all

care about. cuts that place a greater burden on working families. so the debate right now isn't about whether we need to make tough choices. democrats and republicans agree on the amount of deficit reduction we need. the debate is about how it should be done. most americans regardless of political party don't understand how we can ask a senior citizen to pay more for her medicare before we ask a corporate jet owner or the oil companies to give up tax breaks that other companies don't get. how can we ask a student to pay more for college before we ask hedge fund managers to stop paying taxes at a lower rate than their secretaries? how can we slash funding for education and clean energy before we ask people like me to give up tax breaks we don't need and didn't ask for? that's not right. it's not fair. we all want a government that lives within its means, but there's still things we need to

pay for as a country. things like new roads and bridges, weather satellites and food inspection, services to veterans and medical research. and keep in mind that under a balanced approach, the 98% of americans who make under $250,000 would see no tax increases at all. none. in fact, i want to extend the payroll tax cut for working families. what we're talking about under a balanced approach is asking americans whose incomes have gone up the most over the last decade, millionaires and billionaires, to share in the sacrifice everyone else has to make. and i think these patriotic americans are lling to pitch in. in fact, over the last few decades they've pitched in every time we passed a bipartisan deal to reduce the deficit. the first time a deal was passed, a predecessor of mine e made the case for a balanced approach by saying this, "would

you rather reduce deficits and interest rates by raising revenue from those who are not now paying their fair share, or would you rather accept larger budget deficits, higher interest rates and higher unemployment?" and i think i know your answer. those words were spoken by ronald reagan. but today many republicans in the house refuse to consider this kind of balanced approach. an approach that was pursued not only by president reagan but the first president bush, by president clinton, by myself and by many democrats and republicans in the united states senate. so we're left with a stalemate. now, what makes today's stalemate so dangerous is that it has been tied to something known as the debt ceiling, a term that most people outside of washington have probably never heard of before. understand, raising the debt ceiling does not allow congress to spend more money.

it simply gives our country the ability to pay the bills t that congress has already racked up. in the past, raising the debt ceiling was routine, since the 1950s congress has always passed it and every president has signed it. president reagan did it 18 times. george w. bush did it 7 times. and we have to do it by next tuesday, august 2nd or else we won't be able to pay all of our bills. unfortunately, for the past several weeks, republican house members have essentially said that the only way they'll vote to prevent america's first ever default is if the rest of us agree to their deep spending cuts only approach. if that happens and we default, we would not have enough money to pay all of our bills, bills that include monthly social security checks, veterans' benefits and the government contracts we've signed with thousands of businesses.

for the first time in history, our country's aaa credit rating would be downgraded leaving investors around the world to wonder whether the united states is still a good bet. interest rates would skyrocket on credit cards, on mortgages, and on car loans which amounts to a huge tax hike on the american people. we would risk sparking a deep economic crisis. this one caused almost entirely by washington. so defaulting on our obligations is a reckless and irresponsible outcome to this debate and republican leaders say that they agree we must avoid default. but the new approach that speaker boehner unveiled today, which would temporarily extend the debt ceiling in exchange for spending cuts, would force us to once again face the threat of default just six months if now. in other words, it doesn't solve the problem. first of all, a six-month

extension of the debt ceiling might not be enough to avoid a credit downgrade and the higher interest rates that all americans would have to pay as a result. we know what we have to do to reduce our deficits, there's no point in putting the economy at risk by kicking the can further down the road. but there's an even greater danger to this approach. based on what we've seen these past few weeks, we know what to expect six months from now, the house of representatives will once again refuse to prevent default unless the rest of us accept their cuts-only approach. again, they will refuse to ask the wealthiest americans to give up their tax cuts or deductions. again, they will demandd harsh cuts to programs like medicare and once again, the economy will be held captive unless they get their way. this is no way to run the greatest country on earth. it's a dangerous game that we've never played before and we can't

afford to play it now. not when t t jobs and livelihoods of so many families are at stake. we can't allow the american people to become collateral damage to washington's political warfare. and congress now has one week left to act and they'll still pass forward. the senate introduced a plan that makes a downpayment on reduction and ensures we don't have to go through this again in six months. i think that's a much better approach, although serious deficit reduction would still require us to tackle the tough challenges of entitlement and tax reform. either way, i've told leaders of both parties that they must come up with a fair compromise in the next few days that can pass both houses of congress and a compromise that i can sign. i'm confident we can reach this compromise. despite our disagreements, republican leaders and i have

found common ground before, and i believe that enough members of both parties w wl ultimately put politics aside and help us make progress. now, i realize that a lot of the new members of congress and i don't see eye to eye on many issues, but we were each elected by some of the same americans for some of the same reasons. yes, many want government to start living within its means, and many are fed up with the system in which the deck seems stacked against middle class americans in favor of the wealthiest few. but do you know what people are fed up with most of all? they're fed up with a town where compromise has become a dirty word. they work all day long. many of them scraping by just to put food on the table and when these americans come home at night, bone tired and turn on the news, all they see is the same partisan three-ring circus here in washington. they see leaders who can't seem

to come together and do what it takes to make life just a little bit better for ordinary americans. they're offended by that and they should be. the american people may have voted for divided government, but they didn't vote for a dysfunctional government. so i'm asking you all to make your voice heard. if you want a balanced approach to reducing the deficit, let your member of congress know. if you believe we can solve this problem through compromise, send that message. america, after all, has always been a grand experiment in compromise. as a democracy made up of every race and religion, where every belief and point of view is welcomed, we have put to the test time and again the proposition at the heart of our founding, that out of many, we are one. we've engaged in fierce and passionate debates about the issues of the day, but from

slavery to war, from civil liberties s questions of economic justice, we have tried to live by the words that jefferson once wrote, "every man cannot have his way in all things. "without this mutual disposition we are disjointed individuals, but not a society. history is scattered with the ststies of those who held fast to rigid ideologies and refused to listen to those who disagreed. but those are not the americans we remember. we remember the americans who put country above self and set personal grievances aside for the greater good. we remember the americans who held this country together during its most difficult hours, who put aside pride and party to form a more perfect union. that's who we remember. that's who we e ed to be right now. the entire world is watching, so let's seize this moment to show

why the united states of america is still the greatest nation on earth. not just because we can still keep our word and meet our obligations, but because we can still come togetetr as one nation. thank you. god bless you, and may god bless the united states of america. >> saying that the entire world is watching. president obama laying out his case for compromise to solve this debt crisis saying it's an issue also that involves and affects every single american family. the president saying he would prefer the approach that balanced approach he had been calling for of $4 trillion deficit reduction plan that included both spending cuts and higher taxes. he knows that's not possible now. but still called on house speaker john boehner to join him in a compromise that could get this solved before the debt deadline is reached next week on august 2nd. if that deadline is hit, the president warned of serious

consequences, a downgrade of america's aaa credit rating. i want to bring in our capitol hill correspondent jon karl right now. we'll hear from speaker boehner in just a minute and the speaker has already made it clear he can't sign on to the president's grand compromise that would include some tax revenue increases, but now what he is nonowilling to do, the p plan h called for today, is extend th debt limit beyond about six months. >> reporter: that's right, and this comes, george, as the speaker is increasingly confident that he has the votes to pass his plan in the house and, in fact, they believe that will put pressure on the senate to bring it up, so you are right now at a point where the republicans feel maybe for the first time in a while on this that they haha the upper hand here, that they can get through the plan, their r version of th plan, and it would require the president to come back for another debt ceiling early next year. >> the president clearly hoping that by going to the public he'll be able to put pressure on

those rubs, but is there a chance it could backfire and unify those house republicans? >> reporter: you're exactly right, george. the house republicans who don't want to vote for an increase can now be told this is your chance to stick it to the president to go against the president who is trying to force us to do something we don't want to do so i think this will help john boehner kind of rally those really -- those on the right of his caucus, the real conservaves. >> as he was coming into this speech tonight, he was not sure that he had those tea party republicans, the most conservative members of his caucus behind this plan. we're going to hear now from the speaker of the house, john boehner. >> good evening. i'm john boehner. i serve as speaker of the whole house, of the members of both parties that you elect. these are difficult times in the life of our nation. millions are looking for work and have been for some time. and the spending binge going on in washington is a big part of the reason why. before i served in congress i ran a small business in ohio.

i was amazed at how different washington, d.c. operated than every other business in america. while most american businesses make the hard choices to pay their bills, live within their means, in washington, more spending and more debt is business as usual. well, i've got news for washington, those days are over. president obama came to congress in january and requested business as usual, he had another routine increase in the national debt, but we in the house said, not so fast. here was a president asking for the largest debt increase in american history on the heels of the largest spending binge in american history. and here's what we got for that massive spending binge, a new health care bill that most americans never asked for, a stimulus bill that's more effective in producing material for late night comedians than it was in producing jobs and a national debt that has gotten so out of hand it sparked a crisis without precedent in my fetime or yours. the united states cannot default on its debt obligations. the jobs and savings of too many

americans are at stake. well, we told the president in january that the american people will not accept an increase in the debt limit without significant spending cuts and reforms. and over the last six months we've done our best to convince the president to partner with us to do something dramatic to change the fiscal trajectory of our country. something that will boost confidence in our economy, renew a measure of faith in our government and help small businesses get back on track. last week the house passed such a plan and with bipartisan support. it's called the cut, cap and balance act. it cuts and caps government spending and paves the way for a balanced budget amendment to the constitution, which we believe is the best way to stop washington from spending money that it doesn't have. before we even passed the bill in the house, the president said he would veto it. i want you to know i made a sincere effort to work with the president to identify a path forward that would implement the prininples of cut, cap and

balance in a manner that could secure bipartisan support and be signed into law. and i'll tell you, i gave it my all. unfortunately, the president would not take yes for an answer. even when we thought we might be close to an agreement, the president's demands changed. the president has often said we need a balanced approach, which in washington means, we spend pore and you pay more. having run a small business, i know those tax increases will destroy jobs. the president is a adamant we cannot make fundamental changes to our entitlement programs. as a father of two daughters i know these programs won't be there for them and their kids unless significant action is taken now. and the sad truth is that the president wanted a blank check six months ago and he wants a blank check today. this is just not going to happen. you see, there's no stalemate here in congress. the house passed a bill to raise the debt limit with bipartisan support and this week while the

senate is struggling to pass a bill filled with phony accounting and washington gimmicks, we're going to pass another bill, one that was developed with the support of the bipartisan leadership of the u.s. senate. obviously i expect that bill can and will p pass the senate and sent to the president for a signature. and if the president signs it, the crisis atmosphere that he has created will simply disappear. the debt limit will be raised. spending will be cut by more than $1 trillion, and a serious bipartisan committee of the coress will begin the hard but necessary work of dealing with the tough challenges our nation faces. the individuals doing this work will not be outsiders, but elected representatives of the people doing the job they were elected to do as outlined in the constitution. those decisions should be made based on how they're going to affect people who are struggling to get a a job, not how they wi affect some politicians' chances of getting re-elected. this debate isn't about president obama and house

republicans. it isn't about congress and the white house. between the american people and the future we seek for ourselves and our families. you know, i've always believed the bigger the government, the smaller the people. and right now we've got a government so big and so expensive it's sapping the drive out of our people, and keeping our economy from running at full capacity. the solution to this crisis is not complicated. if you're spending more money than you're taking in, you need to spend less of it there's no symptom of big government more menacing than our debt. break its grip and we begin to liberate our economy and our future. we are up to the task, and i hope president obama will join us in this work. god bless you and your family and god bless the united states of america. >> house speaker john boehner, president obama both making their cases now for how to solve this debt crisis. the president saying the entire world is watching. house speaker saying he does not

want to default either but saying he cannot agree wititthe president's approach which he called a blank check. he says that is not going to happen. the clock is ticking. just over a week until america hits this debt limit, augustst d is the day. that is the day america could lose its aaa c cdit rating, could begin to run short of the cash we need to pay our bills. we're going to back to your regular program right now and have an in-depth look at this tonight on "nightline" tomorrow also on gm and for all t we just heard from the president and speaker of the house, still a great amount of difference between the two. >> we want to continue the discussion about the debt stalemate there. is renewed talk about using constitution to solve this crisis. >> a pro vision for bids the its from defaulting on the debt was discussed in washington a couple weeks ago and mark matthews reported on that, but back then it was nothing more than curiosity.

>> you're right. it was an interesting item the president dismissed out of hand. just the same, the 14th amendment of the constitution has a pro vision in that it says validity of the u.s. debt shall not be questioned. >> treasury secretary read it during an interview in may. validity of the public debt authorized by law. >> it's the important thing, shall not be questioned. >> he wasn't trying to make an argument, just making a point refusing to do so would be foolish in the extreme. as the august 2 deadline nears, abc 7's political analyst says idea is getting more attention. >> i think it's come up from the ashes into a realistic possibility in 24-48 hours. >> weeks ago, the president dismissed the 14th amendment argument. but now that statement is getting second guessed. >> people are now taking the president's view and taking it apart, real yidzing, wait a

minute, he probably had more of a political reason than a constitutional reason for saying that. >> it's possible when the president dismissed the idea it's because he wanted to negotiate a big debt reduction deal. and at uc berkeley law sool, i skl an expert to weigh in. >> i think it's last ditch. >> he says the president is right on the 14th amendment. etc. not a good legal argument for raisinging the debt keeling and thinks something else will be adopted. >> it's clear that the leaders of both parties know that this is a crisis and want to do something about it. so they will, they'll do something. >> if they don't make the august 2 deadline, on august 3, $22 billion is due to pay social security benefits for 29 million americans. the next day, $60 billion in treasury bonds come due. on the 15th, another $25 billion in interest on the debt.

tonight the president saying nothing about the 14th amendment to the constitution, both he and speaker john boehner are taking their arguments to the people. >> and the continued uncertainty over the crisis drove stock prices down today. and the dow jones fell 150 points in the first 15 minutes of trading and never fully recovered. it ended 88 points down for the day. that uncertainty impacting wall street is being felt here in the bay area and. >> reporter: webster street is about as far as from wall street and close to main street america as it gets in the bay area. life here is not immune to the tough realities of a mean economy or worry that comes with it. >> you know, just struggling. that is all. >> foot traffic is lacking at larry's shoe repair. talk about raising debt sealing has his ceiling has him frustrated and nervous.

>> this is messing around with people's income. >> with congress at a stalemate, vicky bell took a walk around the uss hornet, hoping this will not mean a drop in the value of her 401(k). >> if it does, i would probably be in the same boat as everybody else, trying to scrounge and find ways to make a living for myself. >> the delayed checks, cuts to police services and another painful recession are just some of the possibilities of what the future may hold. the clock is ticking. that august 2 deadline for congress to raise the debt ceiling -- ceiling approaches. and not everyone may agree on consequences, most people think what happens in washington will end up hurting a lot of people. >> i told you, it's a funny business but no laughing matter. >> punch lines keep coming from kenny the clown but he knows this is serious stuff. >> i think i sometimes see it with the kids.

they don't have some of the same things we used to have as kids, growing up. >> at that music, uncertainty translates to uncertainty in owner, max garcia's bottom line. >> it's uncertain. i wonder every day. but you know... you just have to try to stay witness. >> stay witness and hope for the best. abc 7 news. >> and as we continue here tonight, muni fare evader who died in a confrontation with police what. his family is doing to ensure a fair investigation. >> governor brown wants a big solar project in the mojave desert to proceed. that puts them at odds with environmentalists who want to protect an endangered tortoise. >> and scientists explore a hot spot of biological diversity. a lot more to get to. stay with us.

the family of a man who died while running from san francisco police is considering legal action. even though the fatal shot apparently came from the man's own gun, not from police. kenneth harding was shot in the head as he was running from police in the bay view. investigators say evidence shows the fatal bullet was not fired by an officer, vic lee is live for us with the latest. vick? 50 family members of kenneth

harding have hired a well-known oakland lawyer, john burress. his law firm held a news conference late this afternoon. they say they're on a mission of truth to seek answers about how harding died. his mother talked to us. >> i'm angry and hurt. i want the truth. i want justice to be done. >> the 19-year-old kenneth harding killed on saturday, july 16th after police said he fired on two officers on third street checking out muni ticket evaders. five days later, police made the surprising announcement after getting results. >> we believe that the wound was self inflicted. >> and police chief gives a theory on how he may have accidentally shot himself. >> apparently the officer shot,

hit the suspect in the leg so imagine, if you would an instant hamstring pain pull would cause the person to lurch. the gun lodged behind the cheek. >> we don't trust the police! we don't believe in the police! >> but there are some, harding's family included who believe police could be covering up facts. >> based upon the police department's shifting stories, conflicting statements, allegations, and claims, and retractions, that the truth seems to be far from at hand. >> harding's family says police are unfairly justifying his death by bringing up his rap sheet. danica chapman says her son was going to college and was an aspiring rapper. >> he didn't want to sit around for fall quarter to start for him to start school. he wanted his music career to get up and going. >> police had this response.

>> we've put out facts as we believe them at that time. again, leaving it open for as the investigation goes forward we'll find out more information. there will be witnesses and other videos coming forth. >> and there are four separate investigations going on, one by the san francisco police department, and to the officer-involved shooting. internal affairs launched an investigation. occ launched a citizen complaint and then, the district attorney's office. >> two men accused in the brutal beating of giants fan brian stow may have attacked other giants fans during the dodgers home opener according to the lapd. louie sanchez and marvin norwood appeared in court this morning. arraignment was postponed after their attorneys asked for more time. the case against the men may be growing. >> we believe these individuals may have assaulted other people at the stadium. so we're hoping anyone with

videotape or anyone who has information about that, especially anyone in giants attire would please contact us. >> and sanchez and norwood remain in jail tonight on $500,000 bail each. stow continues to recover at san francisco general hospital f convicted after tacking him, he faces a maximum nine years in prison. norwood facing up to eight years. >> public projects in santa clara county could face delays if a cement plant cannot meet a new state order. the state office is giving lihi southwest cement 30 days for expansion of a limestone mine in cupertino. if the company does not comply it will be taken off the list for approved quarry autos we're in compliance with the law. and we've been working diligently with the county, the lead agency, the santa clara county planning department, we've been working with them several years now z to their satisfaction.

>> and now, sandhya -- jant clara county planning officials say they're puzzled by the state's actions. >> and the partial shut down of the faa has resulted in the layoffs of thousands of construction workers in california. there are hundreds of projects in the state are now on hold including a $31 million air traffic control tower at oakland international airport and an upcoming taxi way project. the secretary of transportation tells abc 7 news he's urging congross pass a new funding bill and fighting against airlines increasing fare tz makeup for federal taxes they can no longer collect. >> i think it's not right for them to be charging people for the taxes that are not being collected. if they can't collect the tax, those charges should not be on an airline ticket. >> funding impass over a $16 million cut in subsidies to rural communities that

republicans added to the bill. >> and proponents of clean energy are at odds with environmentalists over a solar dispute. at issue is a project backed by governor brown in the mojave desert, also home to the endangered desert tortoise. it's now reaching federal courts. >> at a conference in los angeles, governor brown vowed to crush efforts to block renewable energy projects in california helping them overcome permitting and environmental challenges. he signed a law mandating that the state get 33% of its energy from alternative sources by 2020, including solar. >> the sun in california is like oil in texas. it's fabulous wealth waiting to be developed. and those who would resist that have to offer a pretty darned good argument for me to give up on solar energy. >> reporter: putting money where his mouth is, the

governor filed a brief with a federal court, asking a judge to deny a request by an environmental group to stop a thermal power project. back source energy want to put up 347,000 mirrors around three power towers. but the western shed's project says it will harm the endangered desert tortoise whose habitat will be destroyed. degrernds of wildlife. >> a.agrees population is declining. >> we don't know how goitsing to respond in 30-50 years, likely, probably not going to go back to the way it used to be and species that were there, whatever. probably won't go back. >> the project is one example of how tough sit to get green projects off the ground often meaning thousands of jobs are on hold. >> we can have clean energy and preserve the environment. and it's important to get those ground rules set out. work through the proper permits to do it quickly. we can't afford to have plans

held up for years and years. >> there are better places and worse prices -- places. >> both sides see more battles like this, solar power is now more competitive price wise so there will be a push to put up more installations. >> all right. stay with us, coming up next, assignment 7. >> bay area scientists explore lush terrain of the

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>> tonight money matters, next if the lix's profits rose 57%, but the company today predicted slower growth because of a price change raising rates by 60% for many customers. >> the company that makes black berry said it will eliminate 2000 jobs. blackberry dominated most corporate sales. >> super hero may not be an

official job description for a botanist but if you want to study plants you better be tough. we got a chance to see what botsnists are made off when we went on an expedition with them in the philippines. >> a lot of days start with a jeep ride. scientists bouncing along in a colorful, open-air bus this, is the curby stuff. for what is haerkd you better be rugged. darren pennies is part of a team from california academy of sighin -- sciences, joining philippine colleagues to rescue the rain forest. >> it is one of the hot spots of tropical biodiversities. it's diverse in terms of species. >> the philippines has nearly 100 million people on islands together about the size of arizona. population is growing. pristine areas are shrinking.

scientists hope this will help demonstrate the need to save what is left. >> looking for anything in flower or fruit. >> botanists spent five days on a national park, last stop on a five-week trip. the mountain covered with den forests. >> it's fine. i'm not going to mess with it. >> high temperatures average 90 degree was 85% humidity. it can feel like more than 110 degrees. and there are a lot of leeches. this official got one between her toes. and jim shibak does this for fun. >> one of everything is up here,. >> from mosses to showier plants. during the trip, collecting 1200 specimens. each with a unique spot in the eco system. this scientist says even mosses are critical.

>> they're absorbing water during heavy rain and they serve to regulate temperatures and moisture. >> the team includes an expert tree climber, working barefoot, climbing 50-60 feet in just minutes. >> there we go. >> the work goes on for hours. some nights they tent. some nights to a hotel room to organize what they've collected for shipping home. >> we can work well past midnight. >> next morning, they're back in the field. it's grueling and this is what botanists call the glamour part of the job. frank believes there is no better career. >> the only regret i have is that one lifetime isn't enough. that is the only regret. it's true! >> that is a man who found the right occupation. they'll spend months analyzing

specimens and are going to look for new species and new ideas on how to save tropical rain forests. this is the biggest expedition in academy history. there were experts on animals on the trip and we're going to report on findings all summer long. just fascinating stuff. >> incredible trip. >> and we're seeing some nice changes to weather. >> we are. >> warmed up in places today. cool down in others. and and there is a live view right now from our camera making west. lots of blue skies over the bay and inland areas and there are low clouds and fog stacked up at the coast. it's likely to stack up higher later into evening hours. this afternoon we had the marine layer diminishing a bit, pulling away from the coastline later into afternoon hours. it's rebuilding now. we're looking at warm conditions at 85 degrees in antioch and 7 in santa rosa.

70s into remaining areas and 62 in san francisco. 63 in oakland. low clouds, fog moving inland tonight and we'll see little change tomorrow. there is a pattern like what we saw today. warmer weather starting to develop later this week and continuing into and throughout the weekend and next week and we'll see low temperatures and here is a look at our water vapor, there is a jet stream and there is cooling pulling away now, gradual warming over next couple days and sharper warming towards the end of the week. tomorrow, we're looking at mainly sunny skies inland. and there is fog and clouds pushing a little bit on to the peninsula there. high temperatures inland areas and north bay inland areas into low to mid-80s for the most part. and warmest locations mid to

upper 70s into the south bay and 60 to just about 70 around the bay and across the bay and near east bay. near monterey bay, highs into 60s near the bay. inland 76 in hol lifter, 84 gilroy. now, the accu-weather forecast, showing that gradual warming that i talked about, then, sustained warming continuing friday through monday as carolyn goes "like that. low to mid-90s inland. low 80s around the bay. mid to upper 60s on the coast. we're going to make this official weather word now, hmmm. >> both 49ers and raiders gearing up for a full season of action. >> larry beil sup next with the end of the nfl lockout.

join me tonight at 9:00. >> coming up then wrong turn. and concern about two wayward whales and what is being done to right their course. >> then at 11:00, a young man returns home tonight after an encounter with a mother grizzly bear. we'll have his harrowing story for you coming up later on the news at 9:00 and 11:00. >> and for the moment, are you ready for some football?

it's finally on. larry beil is here. >> i think everybody is ready. this is good news here. it's players working throughout the weekend and looking over the contract owners ratified on friday. player gaifdz a thumbs up today, ending four and a half months of arguing and kickoff is straight ahead now. best news is no regular season games were lost in this dispute. the league has a 10-year deal in place. no opting out by either side. highlights include a better revenue for eeners and years past z players making it up with an expected boost in revenues there is some limitations in off season practices, everybody thrilled to get the deal done. >> it's been a long time coming. and even up to the last minute it required both of us coming together to take a -- stock of what is important to get the job done. i know it's going to be our relationship going forward. >> i believe you're going to see a very great nfl over the

next decade. i hope we gave a little lesson to people in washington. because the debt crisis is a lot easier to fix than this deal was. thank you. >> and yes. send nfl to congress v them take over. what happens now is a frenzy. training camps going to open this week. teams can begin signing freeing agents. business will take place in the next few days and weeks. and mike shumann joins us live now. a lot of smiles today. >> well, no question, larry. i was with 49ers this morning. they've been working out. i let them know the lockout has been lifted and al smith looked at me and said when can free agency sign? it's going to be going on next couple days and 32 teams shore up rosters for training camp. and later this afternoon, jim harbau has been chomping at the bit and he's ready to roll. >> myself, players and coaches

we're sitting on springs and ready to go. >> doors open tomorrow at 7:00 a.m. here at the 49ers facility for players and niners field of dreams is ready for practice. >> can't tell you how good it's going to be to have those guys face-to-face, smelling their breath. just getting to know them. let them get to know me. >> and unrestricted free agent quarterback alex smith has been koord that iting mini camp twoz months. and coach harbaugh thinks this could be an advantage for him. >> i'm excited to see what is going on. plans were taking initiative. and organizing workouts and practice. and... hopefully that bodes well for us. everybody participated though thoughs -- knows workouts. >> how have workouts been for you guys? >> you know, putting in a new

offense, a lot of unknowns. it's been difficult. i think guys have done a great job on the opposite side of the ball. we've been working our tail off. guys have been here putting in time. i think it will pass a little bit. and it will be back with 49ers, other teams, i know, are interested. >> and you know... yeah. i think i do. and you know, just can't wait to make it official. >> i think alex will be signed this friday with 49ers and doors open at 7:00 a.m. here. 49ers report thursday for physicals training camp starts friday with their first practice. in santa clara abc 7 sports. >> thank you. and the raiders will open their camp on wednesday and napa. and and they expect it at the white house and willie mays

receiving a autographed mays jersey. matt cane offered a sign by the team, reporting brian wilson wore a normal suit and he was recognized by mr. obama. >> remember the guy with the beard? where is he? huh? i do fear it. >> i do fear it. they put wilson in the back! >> secret service. >> yeah. right. probably well thought out, there. >> that is this edition of abc 7 news. >> and have a great night, everyone. t

captioned by closed captioning services, inc. this is "jeopay!" here are today's contestants-- university development writer originally from s louis, missouri... an educator from chicago, illinois... and our returning champion, a retired emerncy room physician from connellsville, pennsylvania... whose 1-day cash winnings total...